The 5 most dangerous consequences from choosing the wrong dentist

Dr. Charles Nottingham, a dentist from South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry, describes the dangers of getting cosmetic procedures from dentists without advanced training and experience.

Nationally there are over 150,000 dentists, and the number is growing at a rapid rate. However, a staggering quantity of inexperienced students graduate from dental school every year and enter directly into practice. Some of these graduates go on to get specialized training in cosmetic dentistry, but many become general dentists who attempt specialized cosmetic dentistry without the necessary expertise.

A survey by Harris Interactive revealed that 11% of Americans annually (and the number grows every year) received an in-office cosmetic dental procedure to beautify their smiles. High-quality cosmetic dentistry can transform your appearance, but poorly executed dentistry can prove disastrous.

Here’s a shocking statistic from the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry: over 25% of Americans’ yearly expenditures cosmetic dentistry is spent re-doing and correcting unsatisfactory dental work from a previous visits. “While cosmetic dentistry can be transformative, badly performed dentistry can lead to a lifetime of pain and problems.” says Dr. Charles Nottingham, one of the best cosmetic dentists in Florida.

A report by the Surgeon General found that over 39 million people, or 22%, experience some kind of oral-facial pain in a given six month period. The report estimates that 12.2% of Americans suffers from toothache, 5.3% from jaw joint pain, and 1.4% from face or cheek pain.

Founder of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, Ronald E. Goldstein estimates that 50% of American dental work is spent on cosmetic procedures. Undoing other dentists’ shoddy work accounts for an estimated one-seventh of the over $80 Billion spent on dentistry in the U.S. In a 2004 Wall Street Journal article, various cosmetic dentists estimated that re-doing others’ work accounts for 25% to 50% of their work.

“You need to be a careful consumer of dental services,” Dr. Nottingham, a South Florida cosmetic dentistry provider, points out. “Do your research and make sure you choose a reputable doctor with a lot of experience in your procedures.”

What can go wrong:

Tooth Failure: Before inserting crowns and veneers, all the decay must be properly removed or massive decay can form says Dr. Nottingham, one of Florida’s best dentists. Not only would that mean that the cosmetic work needs to be redone, but it can also cause root canals, structural tooth failure, or tooth loss.

Jaw and Mouth Pain: If, during a cosmetic dentistry procedure, the jaw is not properly aligned by a dentist who is an expert in bite alignment, the crowns, veneers, or bridges can crack, wear away, or fall out over time. Patients can also develop a condition known as Temporomandibular Joint Disfunction (TMJ or TMD) from a poorly aligned bite. If the restorative porcelain is spaced too close together and doesn’t permit sufficient air passage, patients can experience speech impediments and changes in the formation of some sounds.

Waste of Time: Cosmetic dentistry is usually lengthy and involved, necessitating multiple visits to the dentist. A typical cosmetic treatment takes at least three appointments, and more than 5-10 hours in the dentist’s chair. Just think what would happen if this work is performed poorly and needs to be redone. Patients will need to take off more time from work, and often not at a convenient time.

Expenses: In addition to losing time, you could lose a lot of money. “You get what you pay for” is particularly true for cosmetic dentistry. Many people go cost shopping for dental procedures, but often the dentists who charge less are general dentists who market themselves as cosmetic dentists without putting in the necessary years of experience and continuing education. They may also use poor quality dental labs and cheap materials (such as crowns made in China). So, when you’re considering price, think about the long-term costs as well.

Loss of Initial Investment: If you’re trying to rectify a mess in your mouth, you usually need to start over – from scratch. So, all the money you spend for the initial work is completely lost. This may sound like a rare situation, but it happens every day. “We have seen patients who have spent $30,000 to $50,000 whose mouths were so bad that the only answer was to completely do it over,” Dr. Nottingham, one of South Florida’s best cosmetic dentists.

So what can you, as the patient, do to avoid these situations from occurring and find a highly trained dentist and dental office? Do your research!